Best mattress for side sleepers with back and hip pain

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Surveys suggest roughly 20% of adults live with hip pain, and the condition is especially common for those over 45. While your mattress cannot cure or treat hip pain, a bed with layers that cushion the midsection and a support system that keeps your body on an even plane can reduce nightly discomfort caused by chronic hip pain. By the same token, a mattress that feels too firm or sinks beneath your weight can exacerbate the pain and leave you feeling worse when you wake up in the morning.

Mattresses that alleviate hip pain typically have thick comfort layers made of memory foam, polyfoam, or latex that contour evenly. Some of the best mattresses for hip pain feature zoned layers that feel firmer around the lower back and hips to reduce sinkage in these areas. A strong support core is also crucial. If the mattress doesn’t feel stable and buckles beneath heavier areas of your body, you’ll probably experience more pain in and around the hips.

Our team has tested hundreds of mattresses in our onsite lab. For this list, we focused on mattresses that excel in performance categories like pressure relief, durability, and ease of movement. Our top five mattresses for people with hip pain are outlined below. Scroll down to learn more about these models.

Best mattress for side sleepers with back and hip pain

“If you frequently experience hip pain, you should consider a mattress that cradles your midsection while maintaining an even surface for your body. Mattresses with mid-range firmness levels and layers of adaptive foam or latex tend to provide the best cushioning and support for people with hip pain. This is especially true for zoned mattresses with extra reinforcement for the hips.” – Dr. Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.

The Sleep Doctor’s Picks

Best Overall

Nectar Premier

  • Mattress Type: Foam
  • Firmness: Medium Firm (6)
  • Price: $1,399

Best Value

Bear Original

  • Mattress Type: Foam
  • Firmness: Firm (7)
  • Price: $998

Best Luxury

Loom & Leaf

  • Mattress Type: Foam
  • Firmness: Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)
  • Price: $2,195

Most Comfortable

WinkBeds GravityLux

  • Mattress Type: Foam
  • Firmness: Medium Soft (4), Medium (5), Firm (7)
  • Price: $1,799

Best Pressure Relief

Nolah Evolution 15

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Firmness: Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)
  • Price: $1,599

Best Overall

Nectar Premier

Best mattress for side sleepers with back and hip pain

  • Firmness:

    Medium Firm (6)

  • Warranty:

    Lifetime, Limited

View full performance ratings

The Nectar Premier is a luxury all-foam mattress that excels at pain and pressure relief. While the mattress is medium firm (6), a 3-inch memory foam comfort layer creates a plush, contouring feel. Transitional and support layers of dense polyfoam provide additional cushioning while stabilizing the mattress to maintain an even sleep surface. People who weigh up to 230 pounds and experience hip pain shouldn’t sink too much around the midsection.

Couples should also be happy with the Nectar Premier, thanks to its excellent motion isolation. All three foam layers absorb movement and nearly eliminate transfer across the surface, allowing you and your partner to sleep soundly whenever the other person changes positions or gets up in the middle of the night. The firmer feel also facilitates movement, so you shouldn’t feel trapped or stuck when moving across the mattress.

Nectar ships the Premier free of charge throughout the contiguous U.S. The company’s 365-night sleep trial is one of the longest in the online mattress industry, ensuring you’ll have ample time to test out the Premier and decide whether it meets your needs.

“The Nectar Premier delivers excellent hip pain relief thanks to a thick, adaptive comfort system and dense foam core. Most side sleepers on our team found the mattress comfortable and sufficiently supportive.”

David Rubin

Lead Product Tester

Best Value

Bear Original

Best mattress for side sleepers with back and hip pain

View full performance ratings

Sleeping on a mattress that feels too soft and sinks beneath your weight can exacerbate hip pain. The Bear Original is firmer than many competing all-foam models, rating as a 7 on our 10-point scale. After testing the Bear Original, we found it should resist sinkage and offer adequate support for side and back sleepers who weigh 130 pounds or more.

The mattress is constructed with a memory foam comfort layer that gently conforms to the body, followed by dense polyfoam transitional and base layers that stabilize the sleep surface. A cover containing Celliant fabric encases the entire mattress. Celliant is engineered to convert body heat into infrared energy, a process that can promote physical recovery and help you wake up feeling refreshed and ache-free. This material also sleeps exceptionally cool, so the Bear Original is a good option for people who normally sleep hot on all-foam beds.

All customers in the contiguous U.S. qualify for free ground shipping with their purchase. The Bear Original is backed by a sleep trial that enables you to test out the mattress for up to 120 nights before deciding whether to return it or keep it. Those who choose to keep the mattress also receive a lifetime warranty against structural defects. 

“The Bear Original feels firmer and more supportive than the average memory foam mattress. We recommend this model to back and stomach sleepers with hip pain, as well as anyone who has found other foam mattresses too soft and prone to uncomfortable sinkage.”

Alison Deshong

Product Tester

Best Luxury

Loom & Leaf

Best mattress for side sleepers with back and hip pain

  • Firmness:

    Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)

  • Warranty:

    Lifetime, Limited

View full performance ratings

Saatva offers an extensive and diverse lineup of luxury mattresses. The all-foam Loom & Leaf is one of the brand’s best models for alleviating hip pain. Constructed with two memory foam layers over a dense polyfoam base, the mattress cushions and cradles the body to create a feel our testers liken to sleeping on a cloud. The second memory foam layer has a high-density composition, allowing the material to cushion the body while also providing superior support. A dense foam strip located beneath the midsection provides additional reinforcement for the lower back and hips.

The Loom & Leaf is available in two firmness options. The medium firm (6) model conforms to a noticeable yet moderate extent, making it best suited to side and back sleepers who weigh 130 to 230 pounds. Those who need more support from their mattress, such as back and stomach sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds, will probably prefer the firm (8) feel instead. Both versions of the mattress excel at motion isolation for couples.

The Loom & Leaf’s expensive price-point reflects its high-end design, but Saatva sweetens the deal for customers with free White Glove delivery anywhere in the contiguous U.S. This service includes full assembly in a room of your choice and removal of your old mattress and box spring upon request. The Loom & Leaf also includes a year-long sleep trial.

“Saatva’s Loom & Leaf is constructed with dense foam layers that contour closely and evenly while maintaining fantastic support. The mattress is available in two firmness levels, so most testers on our team found at least one design that felt comfortable and adaptive without sinking too much.”

Garen Glazier

Product Tester

Most Comfortable

WinkBeds GravityLux

Best mattress for side sleepers with back and hip pain

  • Firmness:

    Medium Soft (4), Medium (5), Firm (7)

  • Warranty:

    Lifetime, Limited

View full performance ratings

The WinkBeds GravityLux is constructed with dense, high-quality foams that cushion the body to alleviate hip pain. These components include a zoned transitional layer that feels firmer around the midsection, ensuring noticeable push-back against heavier areas such as the torso and hips and gentler cradling for the head, shoulders, and legs. A sturdy foam base also stabilizes the mattress and prevents sleepers from sinking or feeling stuck.

Three firmness options make the GravityLux a comfortable option for most people regardless of body type or sleep position. The medium soft (4) feel earned its most favorable ratings from testers on our team who weigh less than 130 pounds. People in this weight group also enjoyed the medium (5) feel, as did side and back sleepers up to 230 pounds and stomach sleepers weighing less than 130 pounds. The firm (7) feel is most supportive and best suited to people who weigh at least 130 pounds. All versions of the GravityLux feature moisture-wicking Tencel covers and open-cell foam layers engineered to dissipate heat, so the mattress sleeps relatively cool for an all-foam model.

WinkBeds offers free ground shipping anywhere in the contiguous U.S. The company’s sleep trial allows you to test out the GravityLux for up to 120 nights. If you aren’t satisfied with your initial firmness selection, you can swap in the mattress for a softer or firmer model at no extra cost during the trial period. 

“Nailing down the most comfortable firmness level for your mattress if you live with hip pain. With the WinkBeds GravityLux, you can choose from three firmness options and exchange your initial choice for free if you ultimately find it too soft or too firm.”

Garen Glazier

Product Tester

Best Pressure Relief

Nolah Evolution 15

Best mattress for side sleepers with back and hip pain

  • Firmness:

    Medium (5), Medium Firm (6), Firm (8)

  • Warranty:

    Lifetime, Limited

  • Sleep Trial:

    120 Nights (Optional)

View full performance ratings

If you experience hip pain but find all-foam or all-latex mattresses too soft, then a hybrid mattress with a coil support system may be a good option for you. The Nolah Evolution 15 is a standout hybrid model thanks to its sophisticated, thoughtful design. Its comfort system contains four individual foam layers that are progressively denser from top to bottom. This ensures even contouring and ample cushioning to alleviate pressure around the lower back and hips without excessive sink.

The zoned coil system is also helpful for people with hip pain. Thicker, lower-gauge coils placed beneath the midsection push back against the deep compression that often occurs around the hips, while thinner coils cradle lighter areas of the body. The coils are also reinforced along the perimeter to stabilize the sleep surface when you sleep close to the edges or get on and off the mattress. 

Additionally, the Evolution 15 excels at temperature control. All four foam layers are engineered to dissipate – rather than trap – body heat, the coils promote steady air circulation, and the entire mattress is encased in a breathable cover made of cooling ArcticTex fabric.

All Nolah customers in the contiguous U.S. receive free ground shipping with their Evolution 15 purchase. The mattress also comes with a 120-night sleep trial, though you may opt out of the trial period and decrease your up-front costs. A lifetime warranty is also included with each purchase.

“Built with thick foam layers over robust zoned coils, the Nolah Evolution 15 delivers a luxurious balance of cushioning and support. Our tests indicate this mattress excels at pressure relief — an area where hybrids tend to fall short — and three firmness levels ensure most people can find at least one comfortable option based on their body type and sleep position.”

David Rubin

Lead Product Tester

What type of mattress is best for hip and lower back pain?

If you sleep on your side or on your back, a medium-firm memory foam mattress may provide enough support to keep your spine straight through the night and help relieve hip pain. But if you sleep on your stomach, a pillow top mattress or hybrid with an innerspring might fit your needs better.

Is a firm or soft mattress better for hip pain?

In general, a medium-soft to medium mattress is better for hip pain, while a firmer mattress is better for back pain. A softer mattress can help to relieve pressure on the hips and allow them to rest more comfortably.

What firmness is best for side sleepers with back pain?

According to the manufacturer's website, foam mattresses are suitable for side sleepers as they support the pressure points while contouring the body. Additionally, 2021 research states that medium-firm mattresses are best for those with back pain.

Why do your hips hurt when you sleep on your side?

That's because when you lie on your unaffected side, the painful hip can lean forward, a position that also puts strain on the joint. In both these instances, placing a firm pillow between your knees can help by supporting your “top” hip and keeping the joint in a more natural alignment.